Group helped fuel Roh's campaign fire

[Fourth in a series] A political group established in 1996 to eradicate regionalism in Korean politics is expected to provide a lot of personnel to the incoming government.

Representative Kim One-ki of the Millennium Democratic Party, who was appointed Tuesday as political adviser to President-elect Roh Moo-hyun, and Yoo Inn-tae, who was named senior presidential secretary for political affairs, were both inaugural members of the group.

The origins of the group, called tongchu, or council for national solidarity, date back to November 1996. Most of the founding members are now Millennium Democratic Party lawmakers who opposed President Kim's return to politics. Members gathered in the name of eradicating regionalism and ending the era of the "three Kims," which refers to former President Kim Young-sam, longtime kingmaker Kim Jong-pil and President Kim Dae-jung.

At first, the association acted as a kind of civic group, mobilizing politicians, academics, religious leaders and cultural figures to their cause. Members ran the gamut from poet Shin Kyung-rim to Chang Eul-byung, president of the Academy of Korean Studies.

Other inaugural members included Won Hye-young, a former mayor of Bucheon, current MDP lawmaker Lee Ho-woong, novelist Lee Ho-chul, and the professor of Soongsil University, Lee Samuel. Kim Hong-shin, a novelist-turned-lawmaker, who is now a Grand National Party member, also helped found the group.

Members of the association lent Mr. Roh their support during his presidential campaign. Kim One-ki, who was considered Roh's left-hand man during the campaign, worked feverishly to keep the president-elect's opponents at bay.

Yoo Inn-tae, who led the association's Mapo office, quietly finetuned the agreement with the National Alliance 21 to field a single candidate. Lee Gang-cheol, a special organization assistant at the National Election Commission, and Im Jong-in, Mr. Roh's legal assistant, are also members of the group.

Last month when Roh joined a year-end party attended by members of the group he reportedly said, "I feel at home" as he poured glasses of wine for them.

Key to the group's activities is Harodongseon, a restaurant in Yeoksam-dong, southern Seoul, that was set up by the group to raise money for their political activities.

They opened the barbecue restaurant in 1997 with the sole purpose of raising money to eventually support a presidential candidate. Ten members of the group, Mr. Roh included, contributed 20 million won ($16,950) each to set up the place. The president-elect became the first major beneficiary of the funds raised by the restaurant, which the group contributed to his presidential campaign.

The Chinese characters for Harodongseon mean "summer stove, winter fan."

"We chose the name to signify that the restaurant was something to help us prepare for the future, that there would be times when we would need a fan and times when we would need a stove," said Kim Chan-ho, formerly the group's spokesman and currently assistant to Kim One-ki. "I think we have accomplished what the name suggested."

by Park Seung-hee